Poppi Worthington dad avoids prosecution for a FOURTH time over daughter’s death despite sex assault ruling

Poppi's mother has spoken out after the CPS' decision, saying she was devastated she may never get full closure over what happened that night five years ago

By Brittany Vonow

15th March 2018, 11:16 am

Updated: 15th March 2018, 1:20 pm

POPPI Worthington's dad has avoided being prosecuted over his daughter's death for a FOURTH time - despite a coroner ruling he sexually assaulted her before she died.

The Crown Prosecution Service today announced it would not be re-examining the case, despite Paul Worthington having previously been slammed by a coroner for attacking his own daughter before she died.

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Poppi Worthington died five years ago, aged just 13-months-old

After the inquest this year, the Crown Prosecution Service came under pressure to re-examine the case against Poppi's dad but it revealed this morning a fourth review into the tot's death would not be held.

Poppi Worthington's mother has now been left in a "complete nightmare" that the truth around her daughter's death will never be revealed.

Background to death of 13-month-old girl Poppi Worthington at family home in Barrow-in-Furness in 2012

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Paul Worthington had sexually abused the tot before her death, a coroner ruled

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Paul Worthington refused to answer any questions during an inquest into the death of his daughter

Tragic Poppi had been sexually assaulted before her death, a High Court judge ruled

A coroner has ruled that 13-month-old Poppi was sexually assaulted before she was killed

A statement read: "No new witness was called at the inquest whose evidence had not already been considered by the CPS prosecutors.

"The medical issues raised by those witnesses were the same and the evidence given by each in respect of those issues was essentially the same.

"No new evidence emerged which was capable of affecting the decisions not to prosecute. Accordingly there will not be a fourth full review of this case by the CPS."

During the inquest verdict, the court was told that only Poppi's father knew what happened before the tot's death but that he had declined to shed light during questioning - refusing to answer 252 statements put to him.

But Poppi's mother has been left devastated by today's decision.

Father of Poppi Worthington broke down when asked if he'd sexually abused her in new inquest into death of his 13-month-old baby daughter

Fiona McGhie, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Poppi’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said on her behalf: "The latest inquest into Poppi’s death was the third time a court has found, on the balance of probabilities, that Poppi was sexually assaulted prior to death and Poppi’s mother is extremely disappointed that this is not enough for the CPS to undertake a further review of the case.

"She was also left disappointed that Poppi’s father chose to rely on his right not to answer many questions which may incriminate him at the inquest and while she understands he was entitled to do this, she considers that the coroner’s inquiry was frustrated by this.

"The past five years have been a complete nightmare for her. Not knowing what happened to Poppi on that day, and knowing that there were evidence gathering failures by the police in the very early stages of the investigation has made things even worse.

"Although she is now closer to the devastating truth, it is likely that she may never get full closure on exactly what happened that night."

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Speaking out after the CPS' announcement, John Woodcock MP said: "This fresh knock back was expected but it stings because it is a fresh reminder of the terrible failings in the police investigation that have made a criminal conviction so difficult.

"The re-referral to the CPS after the second inquest was necessary but this conclusion always felt inevitable given how much evidence was lost or not collected by the police after Poppi died.

"This decision does at least mean the Home Secretary has no barrier to taking forward steps to restore confidence in our police force. I will be contacting her again once this immediate crisis triggered by the Russian Salisbury incident has settled."

Cumbria Police Chief Constable Jeremy Graham apologises to family for Poppi Worthington for failures in investigation